Ingredient of the week: Cheese

Although it’s technically spring, cheese-forward comfort foods are still welcome at our table. This week’s collection of six recipes includes cheesy classics such as grilled cheese, and mac and cheese, as well as a mascarpone-layered dessert from Lidia Bastianich.

This is the first of three recipes from the excellent Cowgirl Creamery Cooks, by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith. Their version of the Classic Grilled Cheese calls for three varieties: fromage blanc, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Julian Armstrong writes of the cookbook: “A page of tips for making grilled cheese sandwiches includes the suggestion to use three cheeses (one of them soft), slightly stale bread, which browns better, and a cast-iron pan on medium heat.”

Skip the boxed variety and make this comfort food mainstay from scratch. Another winning recipe from Cowgirl Creamery Cooks, make this Classic Mac and Cheese with the essential Parmesan and aged cheddar, or half cheddar and half whatever else you have on hand. The crust is thanks to a sprinkling of panko crumbs and Parmesan.

The underappreciated endive is the star of this side dish recipe; the last in this round-up from Cowgirl Creamery Cooks. Creamy blue cheese, heavy cream, chives, pears and endives are all you’ll need to make this rich and flavourful accompaniment.

Megan Gordon’s Saucy Poached Eggs with Kale and Wheat Berries can be enjoyed any time of day, not just breakfast! It’s a one-skillet meal, and crumbled feta is the finishing touch before serving. Gordon writes of the recipe in her cookbook Whole-Grain Mornings: “Shakshuka is a traditional Middle Eastern dish of saucy tomatoes, peppers, and runny eggs. When I began writing this book, I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like if there were hearty whole grains strewn throughout, so my version has chewy wheat berries, along with chopped kale, lemon zest for brightness, and capers for a slightly salty kick.”

Mozzarella cheese combines with ham, red peppers, raisins, carrots and hard-cooked eggs in the stuffing for this Uruguayan dishfrom The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning by Wendy Trusler and Carol Devine. Trusler writes of the recipe: “A pan full of a half-dozen roasted chickens being flattened under a stack of thick cutting boards and heavy pots was so arresting that I eventually forgot I’d come to ask the Artigas cook for an asado recipe. Henry claimed Pollo Relleno is not particularly unique to Uruguay. That day he served it to Uruguayan dignitaries. It’s a special meal.”

Zuppa Inglese is a custard-based dessert, which is thought to be an Italian take on English trifle. In fact, zuppa Inglese is Italian for ‘English soup.’ In Lidia Bastianich’s recipe, pastry cream studded with chocolate and candied orange peel is layered with savoiardi (ladyfingers), and topped with whipped cream.